


22: Things you said After it was Over

by JaineyBaby



Series: Things You Said, A Series of 00Q Prompt Fills [22]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: M/M, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Some angst thrown in there too, lots of fluff, lots of snark, no fixed time line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 04:17:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8272535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaineyBaby/pseuds/JaineyBaby
Summary: The following are two moments, one from each point of view, James and Q that follows the title from "Things You Said" prompt list.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I just thought I would jump in here and say that the following fic is set up a little differently from the others. You'll James POV first, then Q's. This is the aftermath of #16 of this series, Q's POV of Things you said with no space between us. With that, I hope you enjoy.

**James.**

  


_ “James, love! I’ve done it! Swing by the Branch when you’ve finished for the day! I can’t wait for you to see!”  _ You sounded so excited and so proud and so much like the man I fell in love with.

The message ends but I still hold the phone to my ear, my eyes fixed on the yellow-gray linoleum tile between the toes of my Oxfords. 

_ “James, love! I’ve done it! Swing by the Branch when you’ve finished for the day! I can’t wait for you to see!”  _ When it ends again, my finger seeks out the back button on my phone, and the few seconds that your voice does not fill the empty space around me, I am already drowning. They tried to keep me in the waiting room but I wouldn’t stay and I’ve been sitting in the hall outside of your room for what feels like days now and I can’t be moved.

_ “James, love! I’ve done it! Swing by the Branch when you’ve finished for the day! I can’t wait for you to see!”  _ My thumb runs over my wedding band where it sits against the top of my palm, the only thing that has kept me grounded, though every time I look at it, I see where the blood, your blood, that still sits in the bevels.

_ “James, love! I’ve done it! Swing by the Branch when you’ve finished for the day! I can’t wait for you to see!”  _ I shut my eyes against the dim hall light of the hospital wing and behind my eyes, I see the bright white of Q Branch surrounding me as you bleed out over the tiles, made only whiter against the dark red smeared there now. This must be what hell is like.

_ “James, love! I’ve done it! -” _

“Mr. Bond, are you ready?” A young nurse appears in your door and she has the look of someone offering a lifeline to a dying man. But it’s not you who she’s offering it to, but me. I shut my phone down and pocket it. I’ve already made up my mind and I know I won’t be able to survive something like this again. 

  


**Q**

  


I didn’t think about the ricochet and that is my fault. Maybe if I had, we wouldn’t be here now, you standing at the edge of my bed looking pale and tired and scared. I’ve never seen you this scared and I vow never to let it happen again. 

“James-” I try. My voice is raw from the tub that had been helping me breathe for the past 48 hours and you hold your hand up to cut me off.

“Q… Henry, I think it’s time.” You try for a smile but it doesn’t meet your eyes and I know what you’re suggesting. 

“Love, it was one bullet-” I’ve apparently lost enough blood to make me stupid because you’ve gone even paler than before and now I wonder if you’re bleeding out somewhere where I can’t see.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! One bullet, Henry, you could have died! You could have…” You trail off and scrub your face. I can tell how long we’ve been here by the growth on your face alone and I know you haven’t slept all the while. “I know what this means to you, what being Q means to you, but darling, please. It’s time.” 

Never in all my years, 12 years of marriage and 3 more of sharing a life with you, never in all that time had I thought I would see you beg for of all things, retirement. 

I sigh and budge over on my hospital bed, patting the space beside me. You crawl in and your arms wind around me like they were meant to be there. 

“So you’re going to stop training new recruits?” I ask pressing my lips against your temple. They’re chapped and they ache along with the rest of my but having you pressed against my side I’m already feeling better.

“I’m sure England can get on just fine without me telling a bunch of children how not to get shot, a lesson I didn’t even think to give my husband.” You’re lips are on my shoulder and your body has relaxed and I can feel the rise and fall of your chest in tandem with my own.

“I’ll have to turn the branch over to Roberts.” I say flatly. 

“We’ll see that Wilks gets it instead.” You assure me.

“So it’s over then, is it? My career in espionage?” I should be more meloncollie about it but really, I’m a bit relieved. 

“Indeed. But that just means I finally get to take you on that holiday I’ve been promising.” 

We slip into silence and then we slip into sleep, cramped on the small hospital bed. In the morning I will send in my resignation as will you and when we get home we’ll pack for the three months of sailing you have planned. I couldn’t be happier the way things had ended. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading guys! I hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> If the format is difficult or you have suggestions on how to stream-line my process, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! Feedback on this is greatly encouraged and appreciated!!!!


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